Over the years I’ve shared some of my favorite family recipes for holidays and other special occasions in blog entries, on social media, etc. For those who are interested in trying them, here they are in one place. From my family to yours…
—Diana
P.S.: Besides my American family recipes from New Mexico and Arizona, I’ve included the Outlander Kitchen cookbooks below, which I had something to do with, as well as information on the Hebridean Baker. Enjoy!
Drunk Chicken Pasta Salad
I mentioned Drunk Chicken Pasta Salad in my blog post for Easter in 2025. We do Italian food for Easter (Mexican food is for Christmas): I made Drunk Chicken Pasta Salad, deviled eggs and brownies, and our son brought his astonishing spicy lasagna (it’s astonishing that you can get up from the table after eating it, rather than just sinking into a blissful stupor right there…)
Chicken and tequila go great together…
Click here for my Drunk Chicken Pasta Salad recipe, which I first posted in 2009.
Christmas Enchiladas
So—Christmas is coming and the goose is getting fat (and probably not only the goose…)—what-all do you make, special for Christmas? I make enchiladas, machaca tacos—from the Hispanic side of my family—and Christmas Fudge (from the English/German side).
Click here for my Christmas Enchiladas recipe posted on my December 24, 2024 blog.
Make them with cheese, or fillings of your choice.
Machaca
Here’s another bit of traditional Mexican (New Mexican) food… my family’s recipe for Machaca, as posted on December 24, 2014.
It ain’t Taco Bell, baby…
Developed by Mexican peasants faced with the prospect of eating elderly goat, stringy rabbit, or the leftover remnants of the village cow, machaca is a way of rendering any cut of meat both edible and tasty. And it makes great tacos!
Interested? Click here to go to my Machaca recipe.
(I also posted an earlier version of this recipe in 2009.)
New Year’s (or Christmas) Green Chile
What do you want to eat on New Year’s Day? Well, if you ask a Scot what the ideal breakfast is, to follow a proper Hogmanay piss-up, it’s a sausage square or bacon butty, washed down with a can of Irn-Bru.
If you ask a New Mexican, though… it’s green chile, with eggs, beans, tortillas, or all three.
Click here for my father’s green chile recipe, which I watched him make hundreds of times. He never wrote down the recipe, but it’s a fairly easy dish—and it’s one that gets better with standing, so good to make it the day or night before.
My Addictive Birthday Dish: Garlic Pinenut Chicken
One year someone asked what I planned to do for my birthday on Wednesday, January 11: to which I replied, “I’m going to make garlic pinenut chicken and eat ALL of it!”
A few people wanted the recipe for that, so… here you go! My recipe for Garlic Pinenut Chicken which I posted in January, 2017.
(Personally, I find this addictive, but not everybody likes garlic and pinenuts as much as I do.)
Chicken and Mushrooms In Orange Sauce
December 8, 2009
This recipe is in THE OUTLANDISH COMPANION, but I’m in Santa Fe right now and don’t have a copy with me, so this is out of my head. It may read a little differently from the printed version, but it should taste the same.
Click for my Chicken and Mushrooms in Orange Sauce recipe.
Eight in ’08 – Favorites
On New Year’s Day in 2008, I posted a list of eight of my favorite holiday foods in a blog entry:
ENCHILADAS
MACHACA
CURRY
CHICKEN WITH MUSHROOMS IN ORANGE SAUCE
DRUNK CHICKEN PASTA SALAD
BROWNIES
HOLIDAY FUDGE
GUACAMOLE WITH HOME-MADE CHIPS
Some of these recipes (and links to them) are included above, as well as other favorites.
Read my New Year’s Blog from 2008.
Outlander-Related & Scottish Cookbooks
Growing up in Arizona, my father’s family was from New Mexico (since the 1600s!), and my mother’s family was English, who immigrated to the USA and Arizona in the 1800s. So my recipes above reflect that.
The foods that Jamie and Claire ate would obviously be different than my family recipes, except for maybe my family’s holiday fudge. Turns out there are several cookbooks inspired by my Outlander series of novels and feature food from them.
Below is a list of recipe books for food, bread, and cocktails, which have an Outlander theme (I had something to do with them). And books that feature great Scottish food, written by the Hebridean Baker.
Outlander Kitchen: To The New World & Back Again
The Second Official Outlander Companion Cookbook
This second Outlander Kitchen cookbook by Therese Carle-Sanders and Diana Gabaldon was published in June, 2020.
Publisher’s Description:
With the discovery of a New World comes an explosion of culinary possibilities. The later novels in Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series and the Lord John Grey series have Jamie, Claire, Lord John, and friends embark on their revolutionary adventures across the Atlantic and back again—and with their voyages come hundreds of new mouthwatering flavors to entice the taste buds of even the most discerning palates.
Professional chef and founder of Outlander Kitchen, Theresa Carle-Sanders returns with another hallmark cookbook—one that dexterously adapts traditional recipes for hungry, modern appetites. Interpreted with a spirit of generous humor and joyous adventure, the recipes herein are a mixture of authentic old-world recipes from Scottish settlers, new-world adaptations inspired by the cuisine of indigenous peoples, and humorously delicious character-inspired dishes—all created to satisfy your hunger and insatiable craving for everything Outlander, and with the modern kitchen in mind:
• Breakfast: Mrs. Figg’s Flapjacks; Simon Fraser’s Grits with Honey
• Soups: Leek and Potato Soup with Harry Quarry; Annie MacDonald’s Chicken Noodle Soup
• Appetizers: Cheese Savories; Sardines on Toast for Lady Joffrey
• Mains: Benedicta’s Steak and Mushroom Pie; The Cheerful Chicken’s Poulet au Miel
Pork Tenderloin with Cider Sauce and German Fried Potatoes; Claire’s Beans and Sass
• Sides: Tobias Quinn’s Colcannon; Fried Plantains; Corn Bread and Salt Pork Stuffing
• Breads: John Grey’s Yorkshire Pudding; Corn Bread; Scones with Preserved Lemon
• Sweets: Mistress Abernathy’s Apple Pandowdy; Oliebollen; Almond Biscuits
With vivid, full-color photographs and a plethora of extras—including preserves, condiments, cocktails, and pantry basics—Outlander Kitchen: To the New World and Back Again is the highly anticipated follow-up to the immersive culinary experience that inspired thousands of Outlander fans to discover and embrace their inner chefs!
Ith gu leòir! Or, bon appétit!
Signed Copies Available From The Poisoned Pen:
The Poisoned Pen has signed copies of this hardcover book available for purchase online. There is no charge for the author signatures; you pay for the cost of the book plus your choice of shipping. The Pen ships anywhere in the world.
Patrick M. at The Poisoned Pen posted that this edition (Volume 2) “is signed by Diana Gabaldon and includes a special recipe card signed by Theresa Carle-Sanders.”
Outlander Kitchen: The Official Companion Cookbook
Published in 2016 and written by Therese Carle-Sanders and Diana Gabaldon, this is the first Outlander Kitchen volume.
Publisher’s Description:
Take a bite out of Diana Gabaldon’s New York Times bestselling Outlander novels, the inspiration for the hit Starz series, with this immersive official cookbook from Outlander Kitchen founder Theresa Carle-Sanders!
“If you thought Scottish cuisine was all porridge and haggis washed down with a good swally of whiskey, Outlander Kitchen’s here to prove you wrong.”-Entertainment Weekly
Claire Beauchamp Randall’s incredible journey from postwar Britain to eighteenth-century Scotland and France is a feast for all five senses, and taste is no exception. From Claire’s first lonely bowl of porridge at Castle Leoch to the decadent roast beef served after her hasty wedding to Highland warrior Jamie Fraser, from gypsy stew and jam tarts to fried chicken and buttermilk drop biscuits, there are enough mouth-watering meals along the way to whet the appetite of even the most demanding palate.
Signed copies available from the Poisoned Pen:
The Poisoned Pen Bookstore has signed copies of this hardcover book for sale online. There is no charge for Ms. Carle-Sanders’ signature; you pay for the cost of the book plus your choice of shipping. The Pen ships anywhere in the world.
For more information, the Ms. Carle-Sanders’ website is at:
https://outlanderkitchen.com/outlander-kitchen
The Hebridean Baker’s Cookbooks
International best-selling author Coinneach MacLeod, the “Hebridean Baker”, was born and raised on the beautiful island of Lewis, the most northerly of the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. Inspired by family recipes, Scottish flavours and the myths & legends of the Hebrides, his four cookbooks have made him Scotland’s best-selling cookbook author.
His latest cookbook, released in October, 2024, is THE HEBRIDEAN BAKER: THE SCOTTISH COOKBOOK.
The publisher’s description of this new book says:
The Hebridean Baker: The Scottish Cookbook is a celebration of tradition, innovation, and the sheer joy of sharing delicious food. Each chapter weaves a broad narrative of tradition, folklore, travel and the vibrant cultural tapestry of the Hebrides whilst inviting readers to savor the essence of Scotland, one delectable recipe at a time. With tales of island life, encounters with pioneering women, the musical influence of Gaelic across the Atlantic, and maritime adventures around lesser-known isles, this is not just a cookbook; it’s a cultural expedition.
Signed copies available from the Poisoned Pen:
The Poisoned Pen Bookstore in Arizona has copies of this new hardcover book for sale that are signed by the author, Mr. MacLeod. There is no additional charge for his signature; you pay for the price of the book plus the shipping method you choose. The Pen ships anywhere in the world.
For more information on the author and his other cookbooks, visit Coinneach’s website at: https://hebrideanbaker.com
This page was last updated on Tuesday, April 22, 2025 at 6:30 a.m. (Central Time) by me, Diana Gabaldon, or my Webmistress.